Kurt Cameron netted the Rocks’ goal in the sixth minute and Kareem Joachim scored for NY Greeks one minute before halftime in his first shot taken for the club in his team debut.

Cameron’s opener was a rocket shot from inside the 18 after his initial attempt was blocked by a NYGA defender.

Tyler Botte almost tied things up for the Greeks in the 31st minute as he headed Jimmy Nealis’ corner toward the bottom left corner of the net. Rocks keeper Gianfranco Barone dove on his right to perform a breathtaking save on Botte’s header.

The champions did find the equalizer later in the 44th minute. Shaun Foster hit a pinpoint long ball down the right flank to Glein Reid, who delivered a cross in the box to an unmarked Joachim. The Trinidad and Tobago native neatly brought the ball down before whipping a shot in the net.

NYGA was the most dangerous team in the second half. Their best look at goal was five minutes from time when opposing keeper Barone came off his line in a one-on-one situation with Botte and palmed the striker’s shot over the net to keep the game locked at one apiece.

Three key notes

1. Number one wasn’t the lowest number for the Rocks: Keeper Gianfranco Barone was instrumental in Shamrocks’ draw, racking four crucial saves.

2. Leaving room up top: The Irish club’s draw give Lansdowne Bhoys an opportunity to mount to first place with a win over NY Athletic Club on Sunday.

NY Greek Americans forward Kareem Joachim netted his first goal in his first shot taken for the club in his team debut.

“It felt really, really good,” Joachim said after the game, “because you know I haven’t scored in a while so my first game, first shot, first goal it feels good, really good. I hope to do it again next week.”

The Trinidad and Tobago native expressed that his goal against the Rocks improved his confidence.

“Lately my confidence, it wasn’t there and it was affecting my game but that surely gave me a boost now. So for now on it’s going to be a different, different, different Kareem,” Joachim said.

The new NY Greeks striker feels like his side played better and should’ve won the game.

“It’s very unlucky, very, very unlucky [not to get the win]. But you know that’s soccer. We get a lot of chances you don’t score the other team gets one they score, that’s how it is. But we could’ve won."